Japan Ruling Party Chooses New Leader

Mori, 62, a lieutenant to Obuchi, is expected to be elected by the two houses of the Japanese Diet this afternoon.

Obuchi's Cabinet resigned on Tuesday to make way for Mori.

"We need to do this as soon as possible to avoid a political vacuum," said a solemn and drawn acting premier, Mikio Aoki. He said Obuchi's wife, Chizuko, had given her blessing to the move at the hospital where her husband has been since Sunday.

Mori was expected to quickly reappoint the members of the Obuchi Cabinet, and continue domestic and foreign policies. Since the political direction in Japan usually is set by consensus and the Liberal Democrats remain in power, analysts anticipate little change.

Eventually, however, Mori may put his own imprint on that consensus.

Although the market remained steady in Japan, economic analysts said the change of premiers might allow the government to begin to scale back the huge public spending that has produced record deficits.

"It's very unfortunate that Mr. Obuchi left his position before the results of his work had surfaced," Aoki said, asked about the legacy of the prime minister's 21 months in office.

Obuchi's advisers think the government's public spending finally is helping bring Japan's economy out of a recession.

They also point to the resumption of talks with North Korea and Russia as laudable accomplishments of the Obuchi government, as well as Obuchi's personal decision to hold the next Group of Eight summit of the major industrialized countries plus Russia in Okinawa.

In meetings Monday night and Tuesday, political leaders planned the sequence for Obuchi's replacement. Because he is in a coma and unable to resign, Obuchi's Cabinet had to submit their resignations Tuesday night.

Mori's election as head of the Liberal Democrats apparently was assured in meetings between faction leaders for the other candidates, including Foreign Minister Yohei Kono and Finance Minister and former Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa.

Mori, who as secretary general is now the No. 2 official of the Liberal Democrats, also won the endorsement of the smaller parties that form the coalition, which includes the Buddhist-backed New Komeito, and the Conservative Party, a new group of 26 legislators formed on Monday.

The Liberal Democrats' nominee is assured election because the party has a majority of votes in the key lower House of Representatives and controls the less-powerful upper House of Councillors.

Obuchi was taken to the hospital at 1 a.m. Sunday, and diagnosed as having suffered a stroke. His condition apparently worsened, however, and about 9:50 p.m. Sunday Obuchi was placed in intensive care and on life support equipment. Aoki said today his condition was unchanged. He denied a report in the Japanese media that Obuchi was "brain dead."

But Aoki said he met with Obuchi's doctors Tuesday and was told the prime minister was not expected to recover soon.

"It's difficult for the prime minister to understand, and convey his will," Aoki said. Japan's constitution permits a prime minister to be replaced "in the absence" of a premier.

"We decided that since the prime minister is unconscious and we do not expect him to recover in the very near future, this can be considered an absence," Aoki said.